If the Trump administration thinks it will try and undercut the carbon policies set by the Obama administration, it is mistaken. Not only are the developed countries behind those policies — the same ones with which he is about to meet — but so are the this country’s major corporations as well as many cities and states.

It’s market driven. Consumers want cleaner energy and carbon reductions while businesses are meeting that market demand. Policymakers at the global and local levels are helping to facilitate the goals. And while it would be helpful if the federal government enabled those forces, the reality is that locally-based leadership is having a major impact.

That’s what the University of East Anglica in Norwich, England has found. In a study it published in the journal “Science Advances,” it says that if policymakers drill down and curb the emissions in locations with heavy industry and energy production plants, their overall environmental and economic results will improve. Doing so means forcing the implementation of cutting edge clean technologies.

"Everything practical that you would need to do to reduce emissions happens at a city level,” Dabo Guan, professor of climate change economics at the University of East Anglica said, in a statement.

"You can demand that the country cuts CO2 production by 60%, but to do this successfully you need to have a good idea of how to cut pollution at a local level without devastating local economies,” he adds. “Rather than creating low-carbon pathways at a national level, we need a pathway for each city … Our study shows that by targeting the top 5% of polluters in each city, it would be possible to reduce national emissions by 30%.”

China was used as the model for the study because it is a large developing nation that is working hard to industrialize while limiting its pollution. But it is important to point out that its central government is mandating local provinces and industries there to clean up. Reuters is reporting thermal power, steel, petrochemicals, non-ferrous metals and cement makers will be compelled to comply with at least 25 new emissions standards by October. Coking coal, or that coal used to make steel, will have an additional year to comply.

The Pledge

But China could look to the United States and some of its local governments for direction. To that end, more than 230 cities and towns here are part of We Are Still In, which will observe the protocols set by the Paris climate agreement from which the Trump administration has withdrawn: keeping global temperature increases to no more than 2 degrees Celsius by mid century, or 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Calpine Corp., Exelon Corp., General Electric, PG&E Corp., Royal Dutch Shell and Tesla are among those voicing support for the participation in global climate change talks.

Also, Alcoa, American Express, Apple, AT&T, Bank of America, Best Buy, BioGen, Cargill, CA Technologies and Coca Cola have all signed pledges to reduce their carbon footprints. As have WalMart, Target and CostCo.

Internationally, such temperatures will rise well above those objectives -- to 3.4 degrees Celsius and 6.1 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, says Carbon Tracker. Here in this country, CO2 emissions are 18% less than they were in 2005, notes the Energy Information Administration. That is mainly attributed to this country’s transition from coal-to-natural gas.

And beyond its pledge to go all-in for renewable energy, San Diego is partnering with General Electric and Current to deploy an an Internet of Things network to direct drivers to open parking spaces and to help first responders during emergencies. Its smart city platform is also upgrading a quarter of the city’s outdoor lighting to add both efficiencies and sensors, all of which the city expects to save $2.4 million a year in electricity costs.

“I was deeply disappointed when the president decided to withdraw from that (Paris) agreement,” Republican Mayor Jim Brainard, Carmel, Indiana and member of the We Are Still In Leaders’ Circle said. “While national and international action is important, it is clear that cities, with about 85% of our country’s population, can help meet the Paris commitments.”

On the state level, California, New York, and Washington are leading a 10-state alliance to to cut CO2 emissions by 26% by 2032, from a 2005 baseline. Those three states comprise a fifth of the U.S economy and 10% of the greenhouse gases.

A Stanford University study says that the barriers to success are neither technical nor economic; rather, that they are mostly social and political: complacency and entrenched financial interest are key issues. But the analysis then says that the benefits of this conversion exceed the costs, citing reduced global warming and less air pollution along with stable energy prices and new jobs.

Cities and states are no doubt at ground zero in the battle to combat climate change — and they have the backing of locally-domiciled enterprises, which know their customers are demanding better of them. And while those U.S. jurisdictions taking such action are setting both a national and international example, their efforts would go further if the federal government stood behind them. Nevertheless, they have affirmed their commitments to a low carbon society and any discord at the national level won’t deter them.

With a background in economics and public policy, I have spent two decades covering corporate and political affairs. I have worked as an editor, beat reporter and contributor for several news publications and my focus has been on the global energy sector. My columns have wo...